Neighbors 1981 Blu Ray

 

TITLE-Neighbors

SOURCE-Mill Creek Blu Ray

It was 1981,Mom was taking me to the two screener in Pascagoula to see a movie. Not sure how but we entered the wrong theater. 10 minutes later she realized we were not seeing the right film and I was wanting to see more of the film I would later learn was called Neighbors.

John Belushi and his wife live at the end of a road,under the power lines. New couple moves in next door,made up of Dan Ackroyd and Cathy Moriarty.

Now Belushi is playing against type and being the boring typical 30 something white suburan male. Dan on the other hand is in the role that normally Belushi would get.

Belushi quickly catches on that the new neighbors are trouble. Like when Cathy attemped multiple times to get John to bang her. Or when he gives Dan money to go get them dinner. And sees Dan  at his home cooking the food. Or the course of a few days Belushi and Ackroyd go to war with each other. Till a big reveal about this new couple next door towards the end.

Dark and oddly comedic I am still a bit shocked this did as good as it did. Sure lots of that is cause of Ackroyd and Belushi. 

This is the last film Belushi worked on before he ODed. It is also the reason why the punk band FEAR got booked for SNL. Belushi had promised them a spot on the soundtrack. Music was recorded and studio or someone said it wasn't gonna be used. So John used his pull and got FEAR booked on SNL. Which turned into one of the most infamous musical acts in SNL history.

For years this wasn't an easy movie to see. It wasn't until 2004 I finally saw the entire film. And that was a bad VHS rip I downloaded off the late great Tracker 3 bit torrent site. Thankfully Mill Creek put out this bare bones Blu ray. Which is part of their line of Blu Rays and DVDs that come with a slipcase making it look like a rental VHS.

For me this is my favorite Belushi film. Yes Blues Brothers is great and Animal House is fun. But Neighbors shows that John had way more range than people knew.

Neighbors gets a A-

Lilo & Stitch Ohana TPB From Dynamite

 

TITLE-Lilo&Stitch Ohana

SOURCE-Dynamite TPB

Now before this I had read some Stitch Manga and it was good. Found this TPB cheap took a chance. And like with most comics it sat around for a bit before I read it.

In it is the first 5 or so issues of Dynamite's Lilo&Stitch comic. Set it appears not long after the first film. A group of robots wants to get Stitch's dna to make them more like him.

In issue one we see Lilo and her sister plus their extended family getting use to the change. Stitch learns that being part of a family means you are responsible for stuff. After the robots attack Stitch flees.  With each issue being another adventure in a new place. While Lilo and crew try to figure out where Stitch is.

Got an issue set at a NYC convention. Stitch ends up helping sell some ugly koala plushies. Got another with Stitch in the outback of Australia. Where he learns about how the land and rocks have a history to be preserved.

Then the last issue wraps it all up. This time Stitch and the two robots sent after him help some kids make a monster movie.

Great art good writing and the only real complaint I have is it read super fast. 5 issues read in under 30 minutes.

Lilo&Stitch Ohana TPB gets a B-.

Class Act Warner Archive DVD

 

TITLE-Class Act

SOURCE-Warner Archive DVD

1992,Kid n Play had two hit movies and the studios wanted another. So take a well treaded story and insert Kid N Play.

While the House Party films are well remembered,and for good reason,this movie appears to be forgotten by most. It is rarely streaming or shown on TV. And until 2010 you had to dig  up the old VHS. 

The disc is bare bones. You get the trailer and the movie. But unlike every other Warner Archive DVD I have seen this one is Pressed.

Kid is the smart nerdy student,with Meshach Taylor as his dad. Play is the just released from Juvie prison hoodlum. Kid's parents just moved and now he will be in the same school as Play. And their first days at this sschool a mix up happens and everybody thinks Kid is "Blade" and Play is the nerd.

This follows the similar formula as their previous two films. Kid N Play get into trouble,get out of trouble,Rap and dance some. And Play is always after the ladies.

You can see that Kid has his famous High Top fade. And this is the film were he got rid of it. In a great scene where Play is trying to get Kid to look less like Urkel.

And like in House Party we get a big bully after Kid. In this film it is Wedge. Who manages to look scary while wearing a hot pink tank top and overalls. Damita is his girl who is now with Kid.

Sure this isn't some amazing comedy. But it is one I can see myself going back and rewatching once a year or so.

So come on whoever has the rights get this out on Blu Ray. Or hell 4k.

Class Act gets a B+

ED

 

TITLE-Ed

SOURCE-Fandango at Home FKA Vudu

Weeks ago someone was mentioning how the mid 90s was packed with animal let movies aimed at kids. And ED was one I had forgotten about.

Matt Leblanc is a pitcher for a minor league baseball team. Practice he can throw over 100MPH with precision. But game time he throws bad.

Cooper,Matt's name in the film,is sent to pick up the newest member of the team. Turns out it is a chimp named Ed Sullivan. Who is forced to live with Cooper. And wacky hyjinx happen.

What made this stand out from the 100s of similar themed films was the supporting cast. So many people I knew from other projects. Like one of the guys on Cooper and Ed's team is Cockroach from the Cosby Show. Another is Scutt Farkus from A Christmas Story.

What did surprise me with the film was it was filled with toilet humor. More than I would normally see in a film aimed at kids back in 96.

Appears this isnt streaming on any service. We paid 3 bucks to rent it off Fandango at Home. I know I own it on DVD,in some pack of 10 KIDS movies.

Ed is worth seeing and a decent baseball themed movie. 

Ed gets a C-.

Miracleman Book 2 Red King Syndrome

TITLE-Miracleman Book 2 Red King Syndrome
SOURCE-Marvel Hardcover

This is where Moore's run on MM really takes off. Miracleman has learned some of his real origin. His wife is captured by Dr Gargunza.

While MM and Mr Cream are on their way to Gargunza' secret base,we find out why Gargunza helped create Miracleman. Seems he wants to live forever. So MM was created so that in the future he will have a kid. And Gargunza plans on implanting his mind into MM's kid's body.

Once Miracleman makes it to the base we learn that Gargunza has a backdoor. He can say a word and for 1 hour Miracleman is stuck in his Mike Moran form.

If is after revealing this that Gargunza shows us MiracleDogg. And Miracleman in his powerless human form plus Mr Cream get a head start before Miracle Dogg gets let go.

Some quick thinking lets Mike survive. And once that hour is up KIMOTA is yelled and Miracleman gets his hands on Gargunza. 

Then takes the evil scientist up to right where the atomosphere ends. And in a scene that reminds me of Stardust the Super Wizard,MM throws Dr Gargunza at the planet Earth. 

With the big bad taken care of now MM must get his very pregnant wife to a safe place. Which gives us an issue penciled by the great Rick Veitch. An issue that was infamous cause it shows a very graphic child birth scene.

Re-reading this again I really caught how much stuff Moore foreshadows in each issue. And this time re-reading it since I know more about Fletcher Hanks and Stardust I am wondering if Miracleman's costume is not somewhat based on Stardust's costume.

The only negative to this collection,and it is a minor one,is how so many different artists worked on this book. Most for an issue...

Miracleman Book 2 Red King Syndrome gets an A.